5 Major Updates: Where Is Natalia Grace Now In 2025 After The 'Orphan' Case?

The bizarre and widely publicized saga of Natalia Grace, the Ukrainian-born orphan whose adoption by the Barnett family became a global sensation, continues to unfold with significant new chapters in late 2025. After years of legal battles, public scrutiny, and a dramatic documentary series, the young woman—whose true age was the central mystery—has finally found a stable and supportive environment, focusing on her education and future aspirations.

The latest updates confirm a major shift in her life, moving her away from the Mans family and into the care of a new, supportive couple. This current stability marks a hopeful turn following a decade of turmoil that began with her controversial adoption and the subsequent legal change to her age, which fueled the narrative that she was an adult "sociopath" masquerading as a child.

Natalia Grace: A Brief Biography and Timeline of the 'Orphan' Case

The story of Natalia Grace is one of complex identities, legal disputes, and media frenzy. Born with a rare form of dwarfism, spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia, her early life was shrouded in confusion, a situation that was dramatically amplified after her arrival in the United States.

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• Full Name: Natalia Grace
• Birth Year (Legally Restored): 2003
• Estimated Current Age (as of 2025): Approximately 22 years old
• Birthplace: Ukraine
• Condition: Spondyloepimetaphyseal Dysplasia (a rare form of dwarfism)
• 2010: Adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett in Indiana. Her birth certificate stated she was eight years old.
• 2012: The Barnetts successfully petitioned an Indiana court to legally change Natalia’s age from eight to 22, claiming she was an adult "sociopath" who was trying to harm the family.
• 2013: The Barnett family moved to Canada, leaving Natalia behind in an apartment in Lafayette, Indiana, leading to neglect charges against them.
• 2014-2023: Natalia was taken in by Antwon and Cynthia Mans, who later officially adopted her.
• 2022: Michael Barnett was acquitted of neglect charges.
• 2023: The documentary series The Curious Case of Natalia Grace and its follow-up, Natalia Grace: Good American Family, air, bringing the case back into the spotlight. A DNA test by TruDiagnostic confirms her age is consistent with a child born in 2003, reversing the court's 2012 decision.
• 2024-2025: Natalia moves out of the Mans family home and begins living with Nicole and Vincent DePaul in upstate New York.

Update 1: Her Current Living Situation with the DePaul Family

One of the most significant updates in 2025 is Natalia Grace's current residence and support system. She is now living with Nicole and Vincent DePaul in upstate New York, a move that followed her departure from the Mans family.

The relationship with the Mans family, who had officially adopted her in 2023, reportedly became strained, with Natalia stating she found them too strict. She reached out to her friend Nicole DePaul, and the DePauls—who are also little people—welcomed her into their home.

This new environment appears to be a major positive turning point. Living with Nicole and Vince DePaul provides a unique level of understanding and shared experience, as they can relate to the challenges of living with dwarfism. Natalia has described her new family as supportive, marking a stable chapter after years of bouncing between homes and legal turmoil.

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Update 2: The Definitive Legal Status of Natalia's True Age

The central pillar of the entire "Orphan" narrative—her age—has been definitively settled with modern science and legal action. For years, the Barnetts' claim that she was an adult woman born in 1989, not a child born in 2003, defined the case.

However, an independent DNA test conducted by the medical lab TruDiagnostic, which was featured in the documentary series, provided a clear answer. The test revealed that Natalia's age is approximately 22 years old as of 2025, which is consistent with a birth year of 2003. This scientific evidence was crucial.

Following this test, Natalia's legal date of birth was officially restored to 2003, definitively reversing the controversial 2012 court order that had legally aged her to 22. This legal restoration is a monumental step, validating her claim that she was, in fact, a child when the Barnett family adopted and subsequently abandoned her.

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Update 3: Her Educational and Career Aspirations

With her life stabilized, Natalia is now focused on her personal and professional development. She is actively pursuing her education to build a future for herself.

Natalia is currently studying to obtain her General Educational Development (GED) certificate. This is a crucial step towards her long-term career goal: she hopes to become a teacher. This aspiration highlights a desire to move past her traumatic past and contribute positively to the lives of children.

Beyond her studies, she is also embracing typical young adult milestones. She is learning to drive and enjoys listening to contemporary artists like Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus, showing a commitment to a normal, grounded life that was denied to her for so long.

Update 4: The Final Legal Outcomes for the Barnett Family

The legal chapter for Natalia’s original adoptive parents, Kristine and Michael Barnett, has largely concluded. The Indiana couple faced charges of neglect for allegedly abandoning a dependent child when they moved to Canada in 2013 and left Natalia in an apartment in Lafayette.

Michael Barnett was acquitted of all neglect charges in 2022. The trial and subsequent acquittal were major developments, although the public narrative and the documentary series continued to present conflicting accounts of the events.

While Michael was cleared, the court of public opinion and the detailed accounts presented in the documentary series, including Natalia’s own perspective, continue to paint a complex picture of the events that transpired during her time with the Barnett family. The legal resolution for Michael allows both parties to move forward, though the emotional scars of the case remain a significant part of the story.

Update 5: The Impact of the Documentary Series and Public Perception

The release of the two documentary series, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace and Natalia Grace: Good American Family, profoundly impacted the public's understanding of the case. These programs provided unprecedented access to Michael Barnett, Kristine Barnett, and Natalia Grace herself, offering multiple, often contradictory, perspectives.

The follow-up series, in particular, helped to solidify the updated narrative: that Natalia was indeed a child whose legal age was wrongly changed. The attention generated by the documentaries helped to facilitate the crucial DNA testing and the eventual legal restoration of her birth year to 2003. This media coverage has shifted the public perception away from the initial "evil orphan" narrative toward a more sympathetic view of a young woman who was a victim of a bizarre and protracted legal and custodial nightmare. The focus is now firmly on her future and her journey toward a stable life with the DePaul family.